The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-06-22
A KINGS BRIDES.
THE STRANGE MANIA OF MANY
BAVARIAN MAIDENS. .
Romantic Attachments for the Mad
King of Bavaria Result in the
Formation of Sistcrhoods
All Over the Kingdom.

A curious feminine mania is called
to mind by the recent tragic news from
Munich, writes correspondent OF the
Chicago Tribune. Two young ladies of
that city-Baronesses-committed sui
eide by drowning in the Starnberg Lake,
at the very spot where the mad King
Louis drowned himself last year. The
names of these ladies are familiar to all
who have been admitted to the best Mu-
pich society. They were sisters, aged
twenty-three and twenty-six, and were
famed for their beauty. Their family is
very noble and wealthy one. The
mania to which they fell Victims
had its origin fifteen or sixteen
years ago. The young King was
then at the height of his romantic fame.
His ideally handsome likeness was to be
seen everywhere, and everywhere you
heard talk of his poetic melancholy, his ro-
mantle spirit, and his confirmed celibacy.
Naturally he became an object of intense
interest to sentimental young ladies.
Presently, among the other absurd tales
that were told of him, there went abroad
the story that he spent most of his time
in wandering about his kingdom in dis
guise. He haunted shady lanes and ro-
mantle spots, seeking forseme fair maiden
who would be his chosen bride. Well,
this silly tale was believed, and set thou
sand of hearts to futtering. Each
maiden wondered if she would be his
choice if he chanced to meet her under
the limetrees. And she hesitated to
plight her troth to her village lover until
she should have had chance to meet the
King.
So it came to pass that in the Village
of Bertoldshofen, in the romantic noun.
tain region of Southern Bavaria, the
maidens formed themselves into sort of
sisterhood. They pledged themselves to
each other not to marry until they were
sure the King had passed them by. Each
was to wear his likeness constantly next
her bosom, and each was to chose for
herself secret bower where at eventide
she would await his coming. A more
foolish scheme, probably, never was de-
vised by the silly brains of love-sick
schoolgirls. But more than a score of
Bertoldshofen maidens entered into it
with the zeal and devotion of nuns. The
fame of this sisterhood spread to other
villages, to towns, and cities-nay, to
Munich itself. Rustic wenches and the
petted beauties of princely palaces alike
caught the mad disease. Within year
not less than 10000 young women, all
through Bavaria, had taken upon them
selves the "vows of Ludwig" and were
waiting for their King.
In time many. of these girls imagined
they had been seen and passed by. by the
King, and, thus freed from-their VOWS,
accepted humber husbands. Others grew
tired of waiting and broke their VOWS.
Still others waited and waited in vain,
until all other suitors had passed them
by; and they are waiting still and will
be waiting all their lives. But as the
ranks of the original s;sterhoods were
thinned new recruits were added and the
"brides of Ludwig" were still counted by
thousands. It is estimated that there
were no less than 1000 of them at the
time of his suicide. When the news of
that tragedy became known they forth
with put on mourning and called them
selves "the widows of Ludwig" Many
of them took solemn VOWS of lifelong
celibacy, as token of faithfulness to his
memory. Among these latter two of the
most devoted were the young Baronesses
of Munich to whom we have referred.
They constantly wore the deepest mourn
ing, secluded themselves from all social
pleasures, and drove themselves into con-
fined melancholy. Every week they
went to Starnberg and threw garlands of
flowers into the water at the spot where
the King was drowned. Finally they
determined to share his fate. They ar
rayed themselves as brides, even to DON
ming walls and orange blossoms, rowed
out into the lake to the spot where he
was drowned, and threw themselves into
the water. Their bodies were found
next day, clasped in each others arms,
and with portraits of the mad King next